The Alienation of Emily Grierson - 840 Words

In William Faulkners A Rose for Emily, a woman of noble origin, Emily Grierson, finds herself alone isolated in a small town in the Old South. The isolation is not only a result of the townspeoples perception of Emilys status in the community, but also as a result of their pity towards her. Emily, herself, is also to blame for the separation she experiences from the rest of the town. This ominous alienation that some individuals encounter can sometimes lead to horrible, and even, disgusting behavior, as in Emilys case. In A Rose for Emily, Faulkner shows how the alienation felt by Emily Grierson caused by the townspeople, the death of her father, and her own self, enables her to commit an act of grotesqueness. Emilys feeling†¦show more content†¦Although Homer Baron was said to have liked men and was considered not a marrying man, he was the closest person Emily could call a friend. (5) Faulkner does not clarify exactly how Mr. Baron died. The reader is left wondering if it was indeed Emily herself that killed him with the arsenic she purchased from the drugstore, or if his death was due to another cause. Either way, the tragedy of his death was enough to send Emily deeper into her alienated thoughts and further into her own secluded madness. A Rose for Emily reveals how an otherwise, ordinary individual can grow increasingly separated from the social world around them, and become subsequently alienated from logical thought and reasonable actions. Due to the standoffishness of the townspeople and Emilys superior than thou attitude, it was easy for her to fall subject to the isolated, lonely feelings that led her to commit the otherwise grotesque act of love andShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of A Rose For Emily Essay1643 Words   |  7 PagesMatthew M. Courchaine Professor Teresa Trevathan English 123 30 November 2016 On Being An Outcast: Emily As Manifesting Thematic Alienation in Faulkner’s â€Å"A Rose for Emily† I. Introduction Being taught in high schools and universities all across the nation, William Faulkner’s short story â€Å"A Rose for Emily† has achieved a great deal of both academic and mainstream respect in the United States. In being arguably one of Faulkner’s strongest stories, and since Faulkner himself has assumed the positionRead MoreWilliam Faulkner Symbolism Analysis1032 Words   |  5 Pagesand actions of the people of Jefferson Country, in particular, Emily Grierson; age, disuse, and decay are prevalent motifs used to elaborate on Faulkner’s symbolism. The Grierson house is a monument to the elegance of the Old South; the only monument remaining in Jefferson County. â€Å"Only Miss Emily’s house was left, lifting its stubborn and coquettish decay above the cotton wagons and gasoline pumps†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Over the many decades the Grierson house has slowly begun to age and wither, yet the people of JeffersonRead MoreWilliam Faulkner s A Rose For Emily1427 Words   |  6 Pagesfeel animosity towards that makes â€Å"A Rose for Emily† so page-turning. The antagonist, Emily Grierson, is a pretty mysterious woman. Her father dies, she is left with almost nothing, she meets a man, and then she stops leaving her house. In literature, the tone is the narrator’s attitude towards his/her subject. Additionally, the style of a short story is the way the writer structures the plot and the manner that it is conveyed. In â€Å"A Rose for Emily†, it is almost impossible to truly look into theRead MoreA Rose For Emily By William Faulkner1202 Words   |  5 Pages In William Faulkner’s short story, â€Å"A Rose For Emily†, there are a few themes and symbols that are the most significant. The main character, Emily Grierson, is used to display the struggle against change while trying to keep old traditions alive. Emily’s house is a perfect symbol of old traditions. The theme of death is also displayed, as death seems to just follow Emily throughout her life. At the end of the short story, something as simple as a piece of long, gray hair becomes a huge symbol ofRead MoreEssay on Analysis of A Rose For Emily609 Words   |  3 PagesA Rose for Emily is set in a small southern town, in which Emily’s cottage is seen as â€Å"an eyesore among eyesores†. This metaphor also describes Emily who is seen as â€Å"a body long submerged in motionless water.† In the story, written by William Faulkner, this lady’s life is shown through the eyes of the town. Miss Emily Grierson is a peculiar character, withdraw n from society with symptoms indicating mental illness. Her influence on the community was significant, though she was a very independent characterRead MoreEssay about A Withering Rose inWilliam Faulkner’s, A Rose For Emily540 Words   |  3 PagesWilliam Faulkner’s, A Rose For Emily, encompasses various themes, but the theme most prevalent in the short story is decay. Time waits for no one, and for Miss Emily Grierson, time left her behind. A Rose For Emily depicts the motionless decay of a woman stuck in time, as her concept of reality is lost. Throughout the story Faulkner characterizes Emily and the atmosphere around her as addled and withered. In the short story, A Rose For Emily, by William Faulkner, a woman is ultimately overcome byRead MoreThe Gothic Setting Of Miss Emily1307 Words   |  6 Pagesof Miss Emily The story, â€Å"A Rose for Emily,† written by William Faulkner in 1930, shows the gothic elements of how isolation influences the mind. The main character is Emily Grierson whose mental state of mind focuses on her home and town. There is a dark setting in this story that highlights the impact of how isolation prohibits one from being mentally healthy. Miss Emily s home appearance is desolate, rugged, and dingy which demonstrates her mindset. Similar to today’s society, Miss Emily is resistantRead MoreCharacteristics Of Southern Gothic Literature1694 Words   |  7 Pagesin the Southern parts of the United States. Characteristics of Southern Gothic include the â€Å"presence of irrational, horrific, and transgressive thoughts, desires and impulses; grotesque characters; dark humor, and an overall angst-ridden sense of alienation† (Oxford Literature). These dark characteristics come as no surprise given the fact that this literature developed in the wake of The Civil War. After their defeat, the South was devastated both socially and economically through their loss of theRead MoreSetting Analysis of the Story a Rose for Emily1007 Words   |  5 PagesAn analysis of the setting of â€Å"A Rose for Emily† by William Faulkner’s William Faulkner is one of the greatest writers of the twentieth century. Although he was born in New Albany, Mississippi in 1897 he moved to Oxford, Mississippi before his fifth birthday. Faulkner belonged to a once-wealthy family of former plantation owners (eNotes.com, Inc., 2012). He spent his boyhood hunting and fishing in and around Lafayette County (eNotes.com, Inc., 2012). William Faulkner based most of his storiesRead MoreA Rose for Emily Essay - Introduction: Plot Summary3300 Words   |  14 PagesA. Introduction Plot summary This story about a woman, who is called Emily. she came from a rich family .She’s elegant woman ,but she is strange woman in the world . so anyone or people in her village could not understand about her. She doesn’t have mother but she only had a father. They lived in big house in a little village. Her father didn’t married again so he needed and love Emily very much. And didn’t want anyone take away her from him. But she wanted to have boy friends, because she always